a journey in wholehearted learning

We are Julia and Ann, two introverted friends living in Berlin (Germany) and Antwerpen (Belgium). We are both passionate about learning, coaching and fell in love with Brené Browns concept of wholehearted living. Our mission is to transform wholedhearted living into wholehearted learning.

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“You live out the confusions until they become clear.” Timeless truths from Anaïs Nin, hand-lettered by artist Lisa Congdon (previously)

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One my favorite artists (or rather, one of my favorite artists whose work I so far have had the pleasure of discovering a bit) has just blogged about "turning 46". Her story is in many ways inspiring to me - starting again, all over, even if it sounds "late" do begin a new career when you're 32! Yet, Lisa Congdon did it. And this is a happy reminder that it might take a while to find out what it is what we really want. But also that there is no clear and foreseen path each and everyone of us "should take".  So, here's the enjoying the confusions that life brings, wholehearted beginnings and never stopping to trying something new!  

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The course has started!- the importance of connection for me

The e-course of Brené Brown has just started and I already have some insights to share. Just for you to know, I am planning to dig deep here and to really honestly share the insights that I have, which means it will get personal.

Brené defines connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment and when they derive sustenance and strenght from the relationship.

I discovered in 2013 through coaching that connection is my core value and life purpose. I connect really easy to people even when just meeting them on the street and having that little eye contact and a knod or smile. I do it all the time without even realising and I love it when I feel that someone really gets this feeling of being seen and valued for just a minute by a total stranger. It's my own little magic that I enjoy tremendously!

I lost my connection-magic big and small when I had a burn-out and that is my first realisation out of this course: even people who connect easily and get joy out of it can loose it. I totally lost it in the period 2004-2005 because of being burned out and stalked by my former boss. I don't want to go into the details but I now realise that it took me a really long time to build it back up and to truly become myself again. For a long time I did not trust people anymore, especially men, and I was not opening up till people proofed at least 7 times that I could trust them. That is not the way I want to live or love. I also don't want to hide anymore. That was also one of the things I did to protect myself: hide and look over my shoulder all the time to be sure I was safe. It is impossible to live a wholehearted life while hiding!

For me this wholehearted journey is a journey of showing my true colors and of letting the light in through the cracks in my personal pot that are still there so I can see them clearly and know how to use them for my own benefit and that of others. I am meeting a lot of people lately who have suffered or are suffering from burn-out and I don't think that is a coincidence. I have been at the bottom of that hole and I have not only found a ladder to come up with, I am now living the life I hoped and prayed for in those dark days. Maybe my experience can show other people that you can recover from it and be better and stronger than before, something that is really hard to imagine when you are still living at the dark and scary place.

The course has started with the first insight! :-)

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This talk really inspires me to go into the 'daring greatly' arena and to only pay atention to the people who are out there with me.  

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Our journey on wholehearted living and learning will be a creative one - with colored pencils, watercolors, images and everything else we come to think of. 

#gettingreadytoexplore  helloimk8:

Watercolor and calligraphy on canvas: commission for SafeJourney Silent Auction.

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One of the things Julia and I want to do this year and you can follow our progress and process (both equally important) on this blog. Our first step is to take part in the e-course on wholehearted living by Brené Brown.